Chloe Zhang
Russel Hobbs, the drummer of Gorillaz, was absent during the recording of the album Plastic Beach. He was last seen diving off a pier and into the Pacific Ocean, in an attempt to reach Plastic Beach. During his journey, Russel consumed radioactive and contaminated fish, leading to a massive increase in his body mass. After reaching the island, he was attacked by pirates and managed to escape with Noodle, his bandmate. Russel eventually washed up on a North Korean beach and was exhibited as a giant in Pyongyang. Upon returning to England, Russel reunited with the band.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for departure | To deal with his demons |
| Destination | Pacific Ocean |
| Means of transport | Diving |
| State of mind | Panic-stricken |
| Diet | Radioactive, contaminated fish; polluted shrimp |
| Physical state | Enlarged in size |
| Companions | Noodle |
| Obstacles faced | Pirates, harpoons, blood-red waters |
| Final destination | North Korea |
| Captivity status | Imprisoned |
| Return | Released and returned to England |
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What You'll Learn
Russel's whereabouts during the recording of Plastic Beach
Russel Hobbs, the drummer of the Gorillaz, was absent during the recording of their third studio album, *Plastic Beach*.
Russel's whereabouts during the recording of *Plastic Beach* are a mystery. He was last seen with his bandmate, 2-D, who had believed Noodle, another bandmate, had been killed during the El Mañana incident. Russel was dealing with his own demons and went off on a life journey. He did not appear at the Apollo Theater in New York City, and Murdoc, another bandmate, could not find him. Murdoc, who had kidnapped 2-D, resorted to using a drum machine built from Russel's equipment to record the drum parts for the album.
Russel's ident video for the album, however, provides some insight into his disappearance. In the video, Russel is seen stomping off the edge of a pier and diving into the ocean, presumably headed to Plastic Beach. This suggests that Russel may have been attempting to reunite with his bandmates and join the recording of *Plastic Beach*.
After his disappearance, Russel is next seen in the Pacific Ocean, where he has grown to an enormous size due to ingesting radioactive, contaminated fish and polluted shrimp. He reunites with Noodle, who rides on his back as they continue their journey. They eventually reach Plastic Beach, which is under attack by pirates, and Russel comes to the aid of his bandmates. Despite their reunion, the band is forced to evacuate the island due to ongoing attacks by the Boogieman, a mysterious entity.
Following the evacuation of Plastic Beach, Russel is captured and imprisoned in North Korea, where he is exhibited as a giant tourist attraction. After shrinking back to his normal size due to food rations, he is released and returns to England, where he reconnects with the band.
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Russel's imprisonment in North Korea
Russel Hobbs, the drummer of the virtual band Gorillaz, was imprisoned in North Korea after the events of the Plastic Beach album. Russel was absent from the recording of the album, with his parts played by a drum machine. In the "Plastic Beach Ident" short, Russel is shown stomping down a fishing dock in anger and jumping into the ocean, possibly attempting suicide.
Russel's journey to Plastic Beach began with him diving into the Pacific Ocean, where he ingested large amounts of polluted material, including radioactive fish and shrimp, which caused him to grow to a massive size. He was reunited with his bandmate Noodle, and together they reached the island, which was under attack by pirates. Russel fought off the pirates and protected his bandmates, but in the aftermath of the battle, he drifted into the ocean, wounded and delirious.
Russel eventually washed up on a North Korean beach, where he was captured and taken to Pyongyang. Due to his massive size, Russel was exhibited in a giant cage and proclaimed by the regime's leader to be Pulgasari, the legendary North Korean Godzilla. Russel became a popular attraction, but the meagre food rations in North Korea caused him to shrink back to his normal size. The leader then claimed that he had personally defeated Pulgasari, and Russel was released and returned to England.
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Russel's reunion with Noodle
Russel Hobbs, drummer of the Gorillaz, was absent during the recording of the album "Plastic Beach". He was last seen diving off a dock and into the Pacific Ocean. During his journey, Russel ingested a lot of polluted material, including radioactive contaminated fish and shrimp, which caused him to grow to a massive size.
Russel eventually washed up on a North Korean beach, where he was captured and exhibited in a giant glass cage. The North Korean regime believed that he was Pulgasari, the legendary North Korean Godzilla. Russel's captivity in North Korea was documented in "The Book of Russel". After being released, Russel returned to England, where he reunited with his bandmate and friend, Noodle.
Noodle had been presumed dead by Russel and 2-D after the El Mañana incident, in which Noodle's windmill island was gunned down by helicopters. However, Noodle had survived and was later reunited with Russel as they both made their way to Plastic Beach.
Russel and Noodle's reunion was short-lived as pirates attacked Plastic Beach. Russel protected Noodle by cradling her inside his giant mouth and swimming away. Unfortunately, Noodle was swept away into the blood-red waters off the coast of Japan when Russel was mistaken for a whale and harpooned. Despite the challenges they faced, Russel and Noodle's reunion demonstrated their strong bond and commitment to their shared journey.
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Russel's return to England
Russel Hobbs, drummer of the virtual band Gorillaz, was absent during the recording of the album "Plastic Beach". In the "Plastic Beach Ident" short, Russel is shown stomping down a fishing dock and jumping into the ocean, possibly attempting suicide.
After diving into the Pacific Ocean, Russel ingested polluted material, trash, toxic waste, and radioactive, contaminated fish, which caused him to grow to a massive size. He was last seen swimming near the wreckage of the M. Harriet, where he reunited with his former bandmate and long-time friend, Noodle. Russel and Noodle were attacked by pirates, so Russel put Noodle inside his mouth and swam away.
Somewhere off the coast of Japan, Russel was mistaken for a whale and harpooned. Wounded and delirious, he struggled through the ocean, eventually losing consciousness and drifting into the Yellow Sea. He washed up on a North Korean beach and was taken to Pyongyang, where he was exhibited inside a giant glass cage. Russel was declared to be Pulgasari, the legendary North Korean Godzilla, and became the country's biggest attraction. However, due to the meagre food rations in North Korea, Russel eventually shrank back to his normal size.
After realizing he was just a man, the Glorious Leader of North Korea proclaimed that he had personally defeated Pulgasari, and Russel was released. He was then sent back to England, where he wandered the streets of London until musician and Gorillaz collaborator Jeff Wootton allowed him to stay at his place. Soon after, Russel moved into Murdoc's new home in West London, and the band was getting back together.
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Russel's absence from the Plastic Beach Tour
Russel Hobbs, the drummer of the Gorillaz, was notably absent from the Plastic Beach Tour. Russel's whereabouts during the Plastic Beach era remain a mystery, with various theories and stories emerging about his absence.
One theory suggests that Russel was dealing with personal demons and had left the band. After the El Mañana incident involving Noodle and the windmill island, Russel and 2-D believed Noodle to be dead, which left them traumatized. Russel did not appear at the Apollo Theater in New York City, as he was on a personal journey to confront his issues. With 2-D leaving the band and Noodle missing, Murdoc was left to work with a group of mercenaries and pirates called The Black Clouds.
Russel's absence from the recording of the "Plastic Beach" album is well-known. Murdoc, unable to locate Russel, used a drum machine built from Russel's equipment to record the drum parts. The Plastic Beach ident short film further fuels the speculation of Russel's possible suicide, depicting him stomping down a fishing dock in rage and jumping into the ocean.
However, other sources provide a different narrative. According to some accounts, Russel embarked on a journey to Plastic Beach by diving into the Pacific Ocean. During his trek, he consumed large amounts of polluted shrimp and radioactive, contaminated fish, causing a massive increase in his body size. He was reunited with Noodle, his former bandmate, near the wreckage of the M. Harriet. Russel and Noodle then continued their journey to Plastic Beach, where they faced attacks from pirates. Russel protected Noodle by carrying her inside his mouth as they swam away.
The Book of Russel offers another perspective on Russel's experiences during the Plastic Beach era. After being attacked by pirates, Russel was mistaken for a whale and harpooned off the coast of Japan. He managed to escape, but Noodle was lost in the commotion. Russel, wounded and delirious, eventually drifted into the Yellow Sea and washed up on a North Korean beach. He was taken to Pyongyang, where he was exhibited as a giant attraction, believed to be Pulgasari, the legendary North Korean Godzilla. Russel's captivity in North Korea ended when he returned to his normal size due to the scarce food rations.
Despite Russel's absence from the Plastic Beach Tour, he did make appearances in other Gorillaz projects during this phase, such as the music video for "DoYaThing," where he was seen reclining on the roof of the band's house.
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Frequently asked questions
Russel was absent from the band at the start of the Plastic Beach story, having gone off on a personal journey to deal with his demons.
Russel was in the ocean, having dived off a pier and swum towards the island. He was joined by Noodle, who he rescued from the sea.
Russel's size increased massively due to ingesting radioactive material, polluted shrimp, and other contaminated food during his swim to Plastic Beach.
Russel was captured and imprisoned in North Korea, where he was exhibited as a tourist attraction. He was later released and returned to England.
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